The Archaeology of Achaemenid Iran: A Glance at Recent Developments and Studies
Abstract
A glance at the considerable number of studies focused on the Achaemenid empire in the past decades reveals the everlasting popularity of this period in the history of Iranian archaeology. Increasing archaeological field activities conducted in Iran in recent years have contributed to the enrichment of the archaeological record for this period. Published (as well as unpublished) results of excavations and surveys denote a wide array of evidence, including revisions and re-excavations of major sites such as Pasargadae, the discovery of new sites and structures, regional surveys, and the study of artifacts and ecofacts. Recent academic forays that combine a wider scope of archaeological methods and tools with broader and more interconnected research questions have revealed a complex and resourceful spatial organization adopted under the Achaemenid kings in the central regions of the empire. This paper will provide a reassessment of the major recent archaeological fieldwork and discoveries in Iran in the past twenty years.
Citation
Mousavi, Ali. "The Archaeology of Achaemenid Iran: A Glance at Recent Developments and Studies." Pourdavoud Center: Achaemenid Workshop 1 (April 12, 2023).
About the Speaker
Ali Mousavi
University of California, Los Angeles
Ali Mousavi studied in Lyon, France, and took his B.A. in Art History, and his M.A. in Archaeology from the University of Lyon, France. He obtained his Ph.D. in Near Eastern archaeology from the University of California, Berkeley. He excavated in France, Turkey, and Iran, and contributed to the nomination of a number of archaeological sites and monuments on the World Heritage List of UNESCO. He is the author of a book on the site of Persepolis (Persepolis: Discovery and Afterlife of a World Wonder), and co-editor of two books: Ancient Iran from the Air, and Excavating an Empire. He has published on various aspects of Iranian art and archaeology, and holds a particular interest in the archaeology of Iranian Empires, from the Achaemenids to the Sasanians, and the history of archaeology in Iran and the Near East. He teaches art and archaeology of ancient Iran at UCLA. He is also the director of the Archaeological Gazetteer of Iran project.